Ryan Fitzpatrick’s career record as a starting quarterback is 20 games under .500, which might explain why he’s playing for his seventh NFL franchise. Before landing in Tampa Bay last year, Fitzpatrick played for the Bengals, Bills, Jets, Rams, Texans and Titans, never spending more than four seasons with any of those teams.
In those other stops, he eventually became known as Ryan FitzTragic. But now, in the middle of a good stretch with the Buccaneers, it’s FitzMagic.
Through two games, Fitzpatrick is the NFL’s leading passer with 819 yards and eight touchdown passes. While subbing for suspended starter Jameis Winston, he’s beaten the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints, another playoff team from last season.
The Steelers, in five career meetings against Fitzpatrick, have never experienced the magic. Fitzpatrick is 0-5 against the Steelers all-time as a starter and has never thrown for more than 265 yards in a game against them.
The Steelers beat Fitzpatrick early in his career when he played for the Bengals and Bills, and more recently when he quarterbacked the Texans and Jets. The most recent meeting came in 2016, when the Steelers beat the Jets, 31-13, at Heinz Field.
“He’s definitely with a better team now,” Steelers cornerback Artie Burns said. “He has more playmakers.”
Fitzpatrick has the league’s leading receiver in DeSean Jackson, who has nine receptions for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson is complemented by former first-round pick Mike Evans, who has 17 catches for 230 yards and two touchdowns, and tight end O.J. Howard, who has five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson and Howard each have 75-yard touchdown catches, and Evans has a 50-yard reception to his credit. It’s no wonder Fitzpatrick is playing the best football of his career.
“They have one of the top receiving duos in the league, and they’ve proved that the first two weeks,” cornerback Mike Hilton said. “Jackson has been really explosive like he has been throughout his career. They have guys who can make plays.”
And that, in a nutshell, is why Fitzpatrick’s success this season might be sustainable. The Buccaneers are second only to the Chiefs in scoring this season, averaging 37.5 points per game. They scored 48 points in their opener against the Saints and 27 against the Eagles last week. They have been especially good in the first halves of games. They scored 31 in the first half against the Saints and 20 against the Eagles.
For the Steelers, the goal is to get Fitzpatrick out of his comfort zone and to do it early. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler said Fitzpatrick rarely holds onto the ball and has an idea of where he is going to throw when he is dropping back to pass. The only effective way to disrupt a quarterback who is in a rhythm the way Fitzpatrick is right now is to apply pressure on him to get him off schedule.
“We know he’s going to be confident,” Hilton said. “We have to be able to make him feel uncomfortable. It has to start up front. We have to get pressure. In the back end, we have to have tight coverage. When we see the ball we have to go make plays.”
The Steelers are coming off a wretched defensive performance against the Chiefs. They allowed 42 points, 449 yards and six touchdown passes by Patrick Mahomes, who might be the only quarterback in the league playing better than Fitzpatrick right now.
“He is very confident in what he does,” Butler said. “He picks the right guy to throw to all the time. Rarely do you see him pull the ball down and look around. I think he has a really good handle on their offense. It’s going to be a challenge for us. To me, this is the best offense we have played.”
“We’re never afraid of a challenge,” Hilton added. “That’s what we live for. We just have to go out there and play like we know we can play. We can’t have the same mistakes as last week. We have to go out and play well, tackle well, and everything will work out in our favor.”
Injury report
Four starters missed practice Friday. Offensive linemen David DeCastro (hand) and Marcus Gilbert (hamstring) did not practice for a second consecutive day. Safety Morgan Burnett (groin) and defensive end Stephon Tuitt (illness) also missed. It does look like starting cornerback Joe Haden will return to the lineup Monday night. Haden, who missed the Chiefs game because of a hamstring injury, was a full participant in practice for a second consecutive day and reported no problems afterward. Offensive lineman Ramon Foster (knee) and reserve defensive end Tyson Alualu (shoulder) also were full participants for a second consecutive day. The Steelers will make final determinations on the playing status of these players after practice Saturday afternoon.
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: September 21, 2018, 7:54 p.m.
